Acidity of machine-made snow and its effect on pH and aluminum speciation in New England streams during spring thaw

Abstract

The pH of machine-made snow and its effect on an acid-sensitive watershed in Vermont were studied. Spring runoff from snowmaking was found to be less acidic and to contain less dissolved inorganic aluminum. Dissolved inorganic aluminum has been associated with damage to aquatic life. The extensive use of machine-made snow by the ski industry in most of the northeast region of the US may be beneficial to aquatic life.

Keywords:

• acidity
• aluminum
• machine-made snow
• pH
• snowmelt
• speciation

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Trinity College and the Sabbatical Leave Committee of Quinnipiac University for their support of this research. The help of Prof. Christoph Geiss in interpreting soil types and of Prof. Jonathan Gourley in interpreting bedrock types is acknowledged. David Tatam provided assistance in processing the digital orthophoto and also with GIS analysis.